The Shroud of Twilight
by highschoolwriting
Summary: Picks up where Twilight ends, Edward and Bella focus. M for occasional sexual themes, but there will be alerts in author notes if chapter contains anything bad. First fic, don't be too mean!
1. Chapter 1

Bella sighed deeply, not caring for once how hard her smell must make it for Edward; if he was going to be difficult, so was she.

"I really don't understand how you have so little regard for your own life. You're only human once." He sounded exasperated. A touch of melancholy colored the sigh that followed as he leaned his head softly against her chest, listening to her heartbeat quicken. It was unusual for Edward to show vulnerability and Bella's anger dissolved at the gesture. She moved her hand slowly to the back of Edward's neck, stroking his soft, copper-colored hair.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you." She was going to let the current stalemate continue. "But isn't it ultimately my decision anyway? I want to be with you forever…."

"You have no idea what you're asking."

"How can you say that? I've been practically living with you and your family for weeks now!"

Edward glared ocher into her eyes, overpowering her sudden temper with his own, causing her to flinch and look down at her hands in her lap.

"You don't know the… thirst. The monster inside…." He looked past her, through her, deep into his memories. Suddenly, his eyes softened and focused on her face. "I'm sorry. This was supposed to be a romantic night."

Bella leaned forward to kiss his temple, starting to get accustomed to his random mood swings. She felt him breathe in her scent as she gently rested her arms on his muscled shoulders. He kissed the hollow at the base of her throat and gently licked up with the tip of his tongue, ending below her chin. He smiled as he sensed the heat from Bella's blush, catching a glimpse of her full lips, slightly parted in a quiet gasp. She shivered uncontrollably and released the breath that had caught in her chest. Edward reached up and gently angled her face down, meeting her lips with his in a soft, sweet kiss. Bella decided to experiment and try to give Edward a taste of what he did to her and let her tongue brush across Edward's bottom lip. He was stone instantly, his eyes open wide in shock, jet black as the thirst impulse took momentary hold.

"God damn, girl! You really do have a death wish, don't you! You DO NOT stick body parts in a vampire's mouth! Where are your survival instincts?" Bella smiled, despite his tirade and leaned in slowly for another kiss, but he held her firmly, his brow furrowed in anger. "No. You really must _listen_ to me when I tell you how dangerous this is." He softened as her playful smile faded, and allowed her to gently trace the lines of his jaw and the contours of his perfectly formed ears, following them down to his neck. After what seemed like a tense forever, Edward sighed and leaned forward to kiss the slopes of her breasts exposed by the designer dress. He then simultaneously stood and cradled her in his arms in one graceful motion, silently carrying her to his car. He slid her into the passenger seat and flashed his gorgeous crooked smile. Bella flushed scarlet and stared at her hands, while Edward chuckled to himself, sliding behind the wheel and starting the engine to take her home.

_I'll bet I would purr too under that angelic touch_, Bella mused. The mental pictures that accompanied the thought sent waves of fresh blood soaring to her skin's surface and she was instantly grateful that her mind was impermeable to her companion.

"Tell me what you're thinking." She looked over to see Edward staring at her in puzzlement and frustration.

"Uh…. I don't know what you're talking about." She quickly stared out the window to resist the power his eyes had over her. Edward reached over and took her hand, gently rubbing it with his thumb. She refused his attempts to divine her thoughts until they reached her home, when she finally turned to say goodbye. Edward leaned over and kissed her softly, placing his hand casually on her leg to "balance." Bella inhaled sharply and he pulled back, alarmed that he had hurt her. But at one glance at her face, and she knew she had told him that he had caused pleasure rather than pain. He grinned and slid his hand across her body, circling her waist. She tried to turn away, but he held her tightly, brushing a stray curl back from her face.

"Why, your reaction now is the same as it was when we left the dance… you weren't thinking dirty thoughts, now were you?" Her eyes shifted from his so she could protest this not-quite-baseless accusation, but her rosy cheeks told him the truth. "Hmm… I see. Well, shall we make some of those real?"

"What about Charlie!" Bella used the only excuse she could think of. She saw her boyfriend pause and sigh, but a smile quickly spread across his lips.

"You know I couldn't force you into anything. But you are so fun to tease," Edward added as he unlocked and opened her door, still leaning close to her over the center console of the Vanquish. Before she could blink twice, Edward had stolen a soft kiss and was next to her outside the car, offering his arms to help disentangle her from the car. He half carried her to the front door and paused there with his arms resting lightly on her hips. Bella giggled and wiped a stray bit of lipstick from the corner of his mouth to make sure they were both presentable for her father.

"You know, you really do look absolutely gorgeous tonight."

"You're one to talk," she replied, still amazed that he wasn't a dream. When she opened the door, she found that Charlie was sitting in front of the TV waiting for them to return, ever the watchful parent after her little incident in Phoenix. He allowed Edward to help her up the stairs and then walked him to the front door. Alice appeared not 10 minutes afterwards to help Bella out of the getup she forced her into, and kissed Bella on the cheek before heading out to some late-night partying with Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett. As soon as she was alone and in bed, Edward was next to her, already out of his tux and into some more comfortable clothes.

"I had… a good night," Bella admitted with a smile once she was comfortably positionedin his cool, strong arms.

"Oh hush, you know you loved it." He chuckled softly, resting his face in her still-curly hair.

"…. Love is a strong word," she retorted. He laughed, though he kept his voice around whisper-level.

"I love you, Bella."

"I love you too, Edward," she breathed after a slight pause. "Always be with me?"

"Always. Now get some sleep. I'll still be here when you wake up."

She snuggled up against his chest and within minutes was sound asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey guys, I've had some trouble getting in the "write" mood. XD teehee. On a more serious note, there have been some deaths close to my class and troubles with the transition to college. I had up through chapter 4 written, but decided to go in a different direction. Either way, you can expect the next installment a LOT sooner than this one was. I hope you keep reading!_

**_Disclaimer:_ I don't own twilight or the characters, this is simply a spin-off for fun**

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A few months had passed since the junior prom, and Bella was finally able to trade the bulky cast for a still bulky, but removable leg brace. Summer vacation gave Bella and Edward some much-appreciated alone time; the weather on the other hand had become even rainier, as impossible as that seemed.

"It's like monsoon season," Bella complained. Her annoyance at being cooped up all the time was made bearable only by the constant presence of her sweetheart, who appeared behind her as if called to wrap his arms gently around her waist. She leaned her shoulders back against his perfectly muscled chest and basked in the glow of his sweet smile as she shifted her gaze from the pouring rain to his glowing face. He leaned in and brushed his lips softly against hers, but stiffened immediately.

"What? I didn't even do anything...," Bella complained as he pulled his face away from hers. She stopped mid-whine at the glazed, but attentive look that was cast over his beautiful features. _He's listening to someone... Alice?_ "What is it?"

But the look was gone now, replaced with a normalized expression. Bella sighed and thought discontentedly,_ I'll bet he'll tell me nothing was wrong_._ I wish he wouldn't do this... _"WAH!" Edward had scooped her up in his arms and placed her gently on the couch in his room, motioning for her to stay put with one long finger and an odd smile as he exited the room. She waited not-so-patiently at his silent request, intensely curious at what news he would bring upon his return.

After a few minutes that seemed like an eternity, Edward's face was pulled into a look of frustration and confusion, obviously struggling with some intense mental conflict. Bella watched him carefully as he strode gracefully across the room, the door clicking shut as he sat next to her on the sofa. As if he suddenly realized she was there, he put on an almost-real smile that seemed to forget to grace his eyes with its brilliance and took her hand in his.

"What happened?" Bella inquired after remembering she was concerned.

"Alice saw something… troubling," was his careful reply.

"She was talking to you?"

"Yes. I had questions." He paused, sadness creeping into the corners of his mouth. He let his façade drop and stared past her with a beautifully agonized look on his face.

"Please don't edit. I want to know the truth."

His eyes refocused on her face. "I just… was not aware that I had made any decisions. Alice saw us moving from here… not selling the house, but you and I going off…."

Bella was confused as hell. "Mind explaining that one? I have no idea what you're talking about."

Edward paused again, lost somewhere in his internal debate, not appearing to hear her request. Bella waited as long as she could stand and slowly reached up to stroke his face, hoping to bring him back without startling him. He seemed to suddenly make sense of whatever he was working out and the troubled expression relaxed into an easy, calm smile as he pressed her palm against his cheek, kissing her wrist with his ice cold lips.

"Bella?" He looked up at her from under his lashes, his golden eyes smoldering.

"Yes," her voice cracked slightly as her racing heart startled her breathing.

"You love me?" It wasn't so much a question, but an unusual need for reassurance.

"More than anything in the whole world."

"Bella… do you think you would like to marry me someday?"

She froze in shock, her eyes staring like a fish's. _Did he just **propose**!_ Suddenly black encroached upon the edges of her field of vision and her last image was Edward's look of alarm as she fainted.

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teehee, i know it's short but the next chapter will be up as soon as later today so you can wait!


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3 is turning out to be taking longer than I expected, so I missed my way-too-optimistic goal of yesterday to update. But! I decided it was time Edward and Bella… er… deepened their relationship. XD If it gets too much for you, which it shouldn't, you can look for the set-aside italics for the end of the pervy bits._

_**Disclaimer:**_** I don't own twilight or the characters, this is simply a spin-off for fun**

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"Bella! Bella!" She could hear laughing from what seemed like far away and smell Edward's cool sweet breath upon her face. Her eyes fluttered open to see her love bent over her, but glaring back at a roaring Emmett in the hallway, who she identified as the source of the strange laughter.

"Oh God," She heard herself groan as she covered her plum-colored face with both hands, the deep red flushing down into her neck as well. She had never been so embarrassed. The unusual color made Emmett laugh even louder and Edward growled at him to shut up as he gently tried to pry Bella's hands from her face.

"Are you alright? Hey! I called Carlisle, not you! If you are going to be rude, then leave!" _He must have turned around to Emmett again_. "Bella, darling, are you okay? What happened? Tell me what's wrong."

"I think I forgot to breathe again," she replied in a mortified whisper. "Oh geez, how em_bar_rassing!" Edward sighed with relief and motioned towards the hall. From a crack in her fingers, Bella caught a glimpse of Carlisle smiling and gently guiding Alice and Esme out the door as he shut it quietly behind him. Despite their being alone, Bella kept her hands over her face until Edward's inhumanly strong pull made it impossible to do so. He pinned her hands gently against her chest and brushed her hair back from her face, leaning down to softly kiss away her embarrassment. When he pulled away, a smirk had replaced the look of concern.

"So tell me, why did you forget to breathe?" He kept her face angled up towards him as she tried to look away from his irresistible eyes. She wasglad that her mind was the one exception to his power. His perfect face kept pulling her eyes over, though, so she shut them and bit her lip to keep from divulging unnecessary information.

"Hey now, don't do that. I just wanted to know what caused that reaction." Bella risked a glance and saw his boyishly troubled expression. _Too cute…!_ she thought to herself.

"Well, it just… you surprised me is all." His eyebrow pulled up in disbelief; he knew that was not the only reason. "It was… unexpected. And how can you not expect any normal girl to stay coherent after the man they love pro... pr… I mean… well you know what it sounded like!" Edward released her in surprise as she replaced her hands over her face.

"But it was. I mean..." He seemed nervous, antsy. Bella dropped her hands to her mouth, shocked that for the second time she had seen, his articulation was failing. "Well, I guess not right now. But in the future. Sometime. If you wanted me… I guess I was just… well if you were serious, then you would want to eventually, right? I… I couldn't be without you, you know. I have no reason to live except you."It hit her like a rock in the head that his babbling was to fill the silence as she considered his offer. He was waiting for an answer! Bella giggled and received a frown that looked more like a pout. "I'm serious. You shouldn't laugh at people." Bella smiled and reached up to feel his cheek, which was warmer than she had ever felt it before. His look softened to an unusual shyness at her touch and she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, trying not to startle him into pulling away. He flashed his crooked smile and asked, "If I leave your arms there, will you try to be good?"

Bella giggled again and nodded her agreement. Edward slid his hand gingerly under her hair and lifted her into the most perfect Prince Charming kiss.

An impish grin was firmly in place however when their lips released their gentle hold. She stared at him questioningly, wondering if he had one of his rare moments of clairvoyance into her mind or simply enjoying a private joke of his own. He leaned down to kiss under her jaw, just behind her ear. "Keep quiet, I'll keep you still."

Bella simply stared, too confused by his sudden mood swings to react properly, when before she knew it Edward had brought her arms over her head and restrained them with his belt. Bella glanced down and saw that his pants had come undone in the motion that had been too quick for her human eyes to register. He slid his shirt off more slowly over his head and tossed it aside, using one hand to firmly pin her wrists to the couch, leaning his body against hers. Her eyes brightened with understanding as he moved his free hand across her belly, reversing direction as he found the edge of her pants to touch the skin just under her shirt. He kept his burning eyes locked on her face, judging her reaction to his every move.

"But, Edward…!" She trailed off into a sharp inhale as he traced with his fingertips the inseam of her jeans, her eyes fluttering closed as he got perilously high, moving up from her knee. He switched from his fingertips to the palm of his hand as he glided over the danger zone, pressing against her hip as his hand traveled up her side under her shirt.

"Edward, I thought you said we couldn't," Bella reminded him, hearing a chuckle she couldn't see.

"I did say that. But I've not had a problem simply touching you, have I?" He replied coyly, lacing his fingers with hers. He leaned over and kissed her throat as his hand resumed its trail up the curve of her waist, over her ribs…. Suddenly he stopped and looked up at his hand under her shirt with a grunt of disapproval.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" He appeared not to hear her and after a short pause, removed his hand and began unbuttoning her shirt from the bottom up. "Edward?" He flipped open her blouse and glared at her bra.

"That has got to go," He mumbled to himself as Bella laughed out loud. "Shh! You're breaking the mood," He scolded playfully, laughing himself when she gasped and arched up, his cold fingers causing a reaction as they slid under her warm back.

"Edward, that's cold!" He pressed his entire palm against her in response, causing a loud squeak to escape her lips. His head fell to her shoulders as he laughed uncontrollably at the impossibly perfect reaction. She frowned and tried to free herself from his hold. Her struggling helped him regain his composure and he stroked her face gingerly.

"Ah, I'm sorry Bella. You're just…" He chuckled."...too cute for words." He kissed her neck and nuzzled against her collarbone, effectively making it impossible for her to be as angry with him as she had tried to be.He smiled warmly, sensing victory. "Close your eyes," he ordered in his musical voice, kissing her softly to take away all will to resist. When she complied, he slowly kissed from her lips to her cheek, over her eyes and down the bridge of her nose, skipping over her mouth to kiss her chin, then just underneath, down to the hollow at the base of her throat. She could feel his body shifting slightly, moving down so his lips could reach lower. His hand again went underneath her, but this time he used the lightest of touches, causing her skin to feel burning hot after the trail of his icy cold fingertips. He held her back up with a bit more pressure so he had room to deftly unhook the clasp of her bra. He parted the two pieces of fabric gently, pushing them to either side of her small back, his arm reaching all the way underneath her and bringing her body up to his lips as he kissed directly over her heart. He slid out from underneath her and gently laid her back down. She was surprised into opening her eyes when he let her arms go and propped himself up on his elbow, removing the belt and throwing it on the ground.

He grinned mischievously and slowly moved the straps underneath her shirt sleeves, bending her arms to slipthem off around her hands. Bella covered her chest, holding the cloth in place. Edward frowned softly. "Something wrong?"

"Well… no one has… seen me since I was like 7." She looked down as he rested his hand over hers.

"Then close your eyes and you won't have to see me looking. I promise I won't be disappointed." He looked at her from under his lashes. "I'll take care of you, Bella." Her lips parted slightly in thought, still unsure if she wanted him to see her less-than-perfect body. Edward took advantage of her position by gently sliding his tongue along the inside edge of her lips, using his hand to move hers away. "I love you, Bella. Don't be afraid."

She leaned up to meet his lips and then slowly fell back into the softness of the sofa, allowing her arms to fall to her sides while keeping her eyes shut tight. "I love you, Bella," he whispered again softly and slowly removed the last piece of cloth covering her upper body.

"Beautiful." Edward's breathless voice brought a blush to her face as she was reassured that he was sincere and not just telling her what she wanted to hear. A strategically placed kiss caused her blush to deepen and her back to arch as a gasp accompanied the rain pattering on the window. He let his tongue flit out softly to keep her back arched, and moved her arms underneath her, so she wouldn'taccidentally tempt him into something he wasn't ready for. He leaned over her, sliding his leg in between hers, using his body to pin her down. He cupped her petite form in his loving hands, surprised at how well she filled them, and gently massaged with his cautious fingers anything in reach that he wasn't kissing. Bella urged him on without meaning to with little "ah!"s of pleasure, eventually needing to bite her lip to keep quiet.

Edward chuckled, pleased at his apparent prowess and softly reminded her not to bite down too hard, allowing his words to vibrate softly against her supple skin, causing a complete release of her lower lip in a soft but audible gasp. He pressed his thigh against her hips, amused as Bella grew louder.

_**Resume if you skipped over that!**_

"Don't get too excited, love. We _are_ in a house of vampires with exceptional hearing. You don't want them finding out how naughty we've been, do you?" He chuckled softly and kissed over her heart, which was beating wildly. He looked up when he noticed Bella had frozen and opened her eyes.

"Oh no… Alice…," she whispered, horrified at the thought that, had Alice been paying attention to them, she would have seen all this. That she knew anyway, despite their attempts to keep quiet. Edward had released the pressure on her body and Bella quickly pulled her shirt closed and curled her upper body tight. Edward sighed and moved over, shifting their bodiesto the sideso he could hold her against him, blocking her front from view of the door. He kissed her forehead and breathed in her scent, happy to have been able to be so close.

"You know, one day I'm going to be able to do anything with you. I'll develop the self-control to be with you, to make you my first. I'll make it so you can react to me too, to be able to put your arms around me. One day, I'll give you the most romantic day of your life. I promise." Bella smiled at his sweet vow and remembered he had asked if she would one day take a different vow. And she hadn't answered yet. She curled up against his chest and thought about how she could tell him everything she wanted to say when a glance down distracted her. She grinned as she noticed his pants were sitting differently and quickly thought up a diplomatic approach to her question.

"Did you… like this? Is that why you want to go all the way?"

"Well, I want to because I love you. And I want to share it with you. You know this is new to me too."

"I know. But I'm not talking about that. I'm asking if you liked what just happened."

He frowned down at her, confused. "Of course, I wouldn't have done it if I didn't. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering if I was right aboutwhat I saw."

"What?" She gently touched the edge of his jeans. He coughed in embarrassment and reached up to grab the shirt he had thrown over the top of the couch, draping it across the front of his hips. Bella giggled at the gesture and looked up to see Edward had closed his eyes in embarrassment. She blushed at what she was about to ask.

"Um, Edward?"

"What."

"Can I… touch?"

"What!" His eyes flew open in shock. Even Bella was surprised that she was being so forward.

"Well… I've never… so I wanted to know what it was like; I'm not going to expose it like you did to me or anything." If vampires could blush, Edward would certainly have been deep red by the time Bella finished her sentence. "I don't have to if you don't want me to."

"No, it's not that… I suppose I'm feeling a bit... well like you wereI guess." He laughed nervously. "No one's… seen me since I was 7 or so either. But it's been a bit longer for me, I think."

He considered for a moment or two and moved the shirt away slowly, closing his eyes once more. Bella kissed his cold, marble chest and moved to unzip his pants. She glanced up, but Edward's face was blank and solid, as if he were a statue of a reclining god forgotten by man and time alike. She pressed her palm against his stomach and felt her statue's tumult under his calm exterior. She slowly moved her hand down, watching as his face became alive in anticipation. She continued her slow progress, watching his face until she was just above her goal. She pressed against his skin with her fingertips and Edward's lips parted ever so slightly. He glanced down briefly to see her watching him and smiled at her unspokenrequest for him to explain. "Your touch is so warm. I… can't stop myself from wondering... imagining what it will feel like…." He moved his face forward to press his lips to her forehead, his lips turning up into an embarrassed grin as he buried his face in her hair, closing his eyes again.

She ran her hand along his soft, smooth skin, inhaling softly as he twitched under her fingers, listening as he let out soft noises of pleasure as she had been minutes before, sighing as she noticed how much more beautiful his were. She slowly increased pressure as she explored his body, kissing his chest, smiling softly as he ever so slightly tightened his grip on her shoulder. His breathing grew shallow, hard and his muscles tensed until finally he gripped her arm and gently removed her hand. He wrapped his arms around her and shivered uncontrollably, his breathing eventually returning to normal.

_**you can read again!**_

Bella smiled hugely and snuggled against Edward's chest. "What are you so happy about?" he asked breathily, sighing as he finally relaxed, stroking her hair softly.

"Found something I'm better than you at." He looked down, frowning in confusion.

"How so?"

"Well you're shivering. I wasn't when you were done with me."

"Oh, is that so? I can make you shiver, if you want." Edward grinned his crooked smile and pressed her body close to his.

"No no, I like pretending I'm better." He chuckled at Bella's response and kissed her softly. She leaned up slowly and pressed her lips against his cool, smooth forehead. He shifted ashe rested hishead and his hand against her neck, feeling her pulse against his fingertips, listening to her heart race at his light touch.

"It would be so easy to slip, being this close." He sighed. "I don't want to hurt you Bella," he whispered sadly, just loud enough for her to hear.

"I could take anything if it meant being with you forever. When the time comes, I want to marry you." He looked into her eyes. "I want you to be able to relax around me. I want to be able to surprise you."

Edward sighed again and held her close, breathing in a scent that he would have to give up if he granted her request. "You're crazy, girl."

"As long as I'm your girl, I can stand being a little crazy." They lay together in silence, when suddenly Bella giggled at a passing thought.

"I wish I could hear what you're thinking," Edward grumbled.

"I was just thinking that this is going to be an interesting summer." She laughed again and kissed his chest. Edward chuckled too and folded his pretty little human girl into his arms.

"Indeed, I believe it will."

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_Finito! Read the author note please_


	4. Author's Note

Hey guys, thanks so much for reading my story. This was my first stab at writing and although it took a while to get past the first chapter, and although the last one was fairly long, I'm glad you got through it all.

I guess my reason for writing was just being tired of nothing interesting happening between Edward, so I figured if they could do anything while she is human, it should be written.

Please review and keep checking up on me! I'm devising another story, fantasy, but original characters based on the world created in another novel. Check it out when it's up, k? And if you review, honesty is appreciated but rudeness is not. Constructive, give me advice to improve, or tell me something that's not quite right; tell me what you liked and what you didn't. I would really appreciate it, and it can only make me a better writer!

Mucho love, and thanks again for stickin with me!


	5. AN

Hey guys!

good news. i finally got to read and purchase new moon. i won't be continuing this story, but i'm coming up with a new one that will continue where new moon left off. i don't know if any of you are still watching this story, but hopefully you'll check out my new one and stuff

Hope you'll read!

Love


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